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Coastal Cuisine
Enjoy A Taste Of The Carolina
Vacation - the one time of year you can forget about your alarm clock, lay in the sun all day, go shopping without a list, and, most importantly, indulge on some truly mouthwatering culinary delights, every night of the week.
From mom-and-pop diners to gourmet eateries, the Cape Fear Coast and Brunswick Islands offer a wide variety of options for any taste and budget. Dine alfresco next to crashing waves, or kick back dockside and enjoy happy hour as the sun melts away. Downtown Wilmington has a variety of eclectic eateries, serving up everything from classic Southern dishes to pad thai and sushi.
Of course, the most exciting part about dining on North Carolina's most southern coast is getting a taste of our local delicacies. Surrounded by oceans, bays and inlets, this part of North Carolina is blessed with a bounty of fresh seafood, year-round. Some of the most pristine coastal areas on the East Coast are right around the corner, and thousands of ® shermen make a living off reeling in an assortment of fish, including grouper, mahi-mahi, tuna, swordfish, mackerel and shellfish.
With more than 30 seafood restaurants within a square mile, the town of Calabash is known as the "Seafood Capital of the World." The quaint town is a mecca for seafood lovers, especially those with a taste of fish served "Calabash-style" deep fried in seasoned cornmeal batter.If you're making a trip to Calabash, best come on an empty stomach-many restaurants serve up huge portions and all-you-can-eat platters.
Other seafood delicacies that abound on the North Carolina coast are oysters and crabs, both served a variety of ways. Many restaurants have their own take on crab cakes and crab dipÐand yes, the recipe is a secret. Hard shell crabs are served steamed and seasoned with Old Bay, while soft shell crabs can be found fried, broiled or sautéed, often in sandwiches.
Fresh catch is also served in an endless amount of ways- steamed, fried, blackened, or "Calabash" - style. Area chefs use their creative license to create delicious dishes you could never dream up on your own, combining seafood and fresh ingredients from local farms, such as sweet potatoes or collard greens. However, the most famous dish in the Tar Heel state has to be Carolina barbecue. First, understand that the word "barbecue" and the word "grilling" are not synonymous, and in this neck of the woods, barbecue means pork, not chicken or beef. Carolina barbecue is a combination of pork, heat and smoke that makes for a tender, rich, succulent meat that is minced and usually paired with a thin vinegar sauce. There are some varieties in the way barbecue is cooked, but nobody is more proud of their barbecue than North Carolinians. A plate of barbecue will definitely be accompanied by coleslaw and a pile of hush puppies-delicious fried balls of cornmeal, flour, eggs and sugar-another North Carolina tradition.
You'll be delighted by the dining options across the Cape Fear Coast and Brunswick Islands, from casual family restaurants to upscale eateries. But no matter where you eat, rest assured you'll get a side of that good old-fashioned Southern charm with every meal.
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